Drastic measures in Malaysia to keep contractors on the job

Tuesday, August 22, 2006

To combat delays and bad workmanship, the government of Malaysia wants members of the public to inform on contractors who appear to take a negligent or corrupt approach to major public projects.

The government is also implementing a code of ethics, backed up by a monitoring committee, with which contractors will have to comply from next year.

Works Minister Samy Vellu is quoted in press reports this week as complaining about the rising number of abandoned projects and shoddy work — which end up costing the government money to step in and put right.

Industry observers say corruption and bureaucracy is rife in Malaysian construction, resulting in expensive but poor quality developments. Several major infrastructure projects such as healthcare and government buildings have been delayed although costs keep going up.

“These are drastic measures,” Samy Vellu told the New Straights Times newspaper.

“Once implemented, the code of ethics and appraisal system will have to be adhered to by contractors registered with the Construction Industry Development Board.”

The code, drawn up by contractor associations and government departments, requires contractors to finish their job on time and according to specifications.

Contractors will also have to enrol in “integrity courses”, according to the New Straights Times.

This story has been reproduced from the iCON (International Construction Review) website www.iconreview.org

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